Iowa’s 2022 transfer portal departures are norm, not exception in college football

IOWA CITY — Kirk Ferentz did not always seem to be a fan of the direction of college football in 2022.

In July at Big Ten Media Days, the 24th-year Iowa head coach said in his formal news conference he “probably wouldn't be the only person to say I'm really concerned about the path that college football is on right now.”

Later that day, he mentioned “free transfers,” coupled with athletes profiting off their name, image and likeness, as one of the reasons for that concern.

If Ferentz’s July comments were an admonishment, his most actions are more so an adaptation, perhaps with a hint of admiration.

Iowa already has landed its presumed quarterback of the future, Cade McNamara, via the transfer portal, with some help of NIL. The Hawkeyes are courting many others in the portal as Ferentz and his staff look to shore up the 2023 roster.

“In some ways it’s kind of exhilarating,” Ferentz said of the transfer portal during last weekend’s bowl news conference. “Because there is opportunity there, I think, if you’re careful about how you do it.”

The change in tune on the transfer portal is partially out of necessity. Along with the obvious need to improve offensively after a 7-5 season, Iowa has lost enough players via the portal that it needs to add via the portal.

Eight scholarship players have left the Hawkeyes via the transfer portal. Five were on offense — quarterback Alex Padilla, running back Gavin Williams, offensive lineman Josh Volk and wide receivers Keagan Johnson and Arland Bruce IV.

Three were on defense — linebacker Jestin Jacobs and defensive backs Terry Roberts and Reggie Bracy.

Less than one full week since the first of two transfer portal windows opened, there already are more players entering the portal following the 2022 season than there were after the 2021 season.

A Gazette analysis of On3 Sports’ transfer portal data shows Iowa’s 2022 level of transfer portal departures is not abnormal, though, in the broader context of Power Five college football as a whole.

Big Ten teams have averaged 7.2 transfer portal departures, as of midday Friday. Excluding the three programs who are undergoing coaching changes — Nebraska, Wisconsin and Purdue — the average is 6.9.

Among the 65 Power Five programs, the average number of departures is 8.1, again as of Friday. When excluding programs going through a coaching change, the average drops to 7.8.

Iowa is above those averages, but transfer portal numbers come with a few caveats that lead to some margin for error.

The transfer portal is not visible to the public, and different recruiting sites may count transfer departures differently. 247Sports, for example, listed Elijah Yelverton on Friday as transferring from Iowa even though he has been away from the team since last offseason.

The portal environment also is fluid enough that numbers can fluctuate by the hour.

The exact numbers aside, it is clear Iowa is trying to adapt to the new reality rather than admonishing it.

"We're moving into different times,“ Ferentz said last weekend. “So you just have to accept it, I think, and you deal with it.”

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com